A Woman's Touch
by Tuna Salad Sonnet
Summary: Xigbar has an offer that Larxene may very well refuse. Xigbar/Larxene ficlet: shortly after Larxene joins the Organization.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Kingdom Hearts_ or any related characters. This was written out of enjoyment of the series, and no profit is being made.

**AN.** Larxene multi-shipping should not be so much fun.

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_**Ships:**_ (romance) Xigbar/Larxene  
_**Spoilers:**_ KHII - Second visit to The Land of Dragons.  
_**Warnings:**_ Vague violence.  
_**Notes:**_ Takes place shortly after Larxene joins the Organization.

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**A Woman's Touch**

The slick grinding sound of metal on stone stopped when the woman spun, newly sharpened kunai to the throat of the encroacher. The man's hands flew up in surrender. "Whoa. You're good at this, newsie," he said.

Larxene raised an eyebrow before lowering her weapon. "Xigbar. What do you want?"

She crouched down at the grinding machine again, preparing her next kunai. He averted his eyes as his brain reminded him that this is the _one_ chick you don't check out, lest you end up impaled to a rock somewhere desolate and remote. "That's a good question. Lotta things I want. A heart for one thing. I'd like an eye back for another, but that's not going to happen. And I was always partial to chocolate cupcakes, but you know…"

"I _mean_ what do you want from me?" She glared, and he could tell she was restraining. He smirked. It wouldn't be much longer before she dropped the 'polite Neophyte' act, hanging around Axel and Marluxia the way she did.

"I came to make an offer. Whether it is a good one or not is up to you."

She shrugged, bored already. "I'm listening, I guess." The forge filled up with the sound of grinding again.

"Well, you know that the original six members were scientists and all. So, we were talking last night, reminiscing about the good old days before our Others royally screwed up-"

"Get on with it, Xigbar."

"We were wondering if you'd want to be a lab assistant."

His head hurt all of a sudden and he realized she somehow had him pushed against the wall, kunai to his neck again. He recognized that her lips were moving and she was talking, so he listened. "…expect me to stand around and put away files? Organize all your little beakers? Polish your pocket protectors?"

"Now, I don't know about that. I've never used a pocket protector, so-"

"Sexist pig," she hissed, touching the hot sliver of metal into his skin.

He reacted, nine years of battle resting dormant in his muscle memory. He grabbed her wrist with one hand and wrenched the dagger out of her hand with the other. He threw it to the ground, and she watched, taken off guard by his speed and strength. "Rule number one, Princess: wait until you hear the whole offer before you jump to conclusions."

She wrenched her wrist out of his grip, straightening her frenzied blonde hair. She pouted and he took that to mean, 'go on.'

He grinned. "I was actually thinking jumping right into assisting us with experiments. We can handle the boring file crap."

"Experiments?"

"Yeah, you know. Synthesis, decomp, double displacement."

She stared.

Xigbar avoided her eyes casually. "Explosions."

She chewed on this. "Alright."

He smirked. "Good doing business with you."

She waved a hand towards the grinding machine. It slowed to a stop and her kunai dismissed, disappearing back to the armoury.

"Oh, and Larxene."

She turned back and he could see she was still miffed at having been defeated. He tilted his head and brushed a bang out of her face. "You should think about slicking your hair back. Does wonders in the lab."

She slapped his hand away and he laughed automatically. "Whatever," she turned to leave, but paused.

Xaldin stood in the doorway, Marluxia's chipped scythe on his shoulder. His eyebrows were raised high on his forehead. "Xigbar."

"Xaldin," Xigbar grinned and folded his arms.

"Larxene." He nodded at her.

"Xaldin," she glided past him, punching him in the shoulder. "Guess I'll see you around."

Number III watched her leave, then turned back to the man standing across from him. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"If you mean us winning 10k munny and Vexen and Zexion loosing the bet, I'd say yes."

Xaldin shook his head. "This place is never going to be quiet again."


End file.
